Team 2537 is Atholton High School's FIRST FRC robotics team.

The mission of [http://www.firstinspires.org/ FIRST] is to spur interest in science and technology through robotics.  Each year, [http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)] announces a [https://youtu.be/gmiYWTmFRVE challenge] and thousands of teams each have 6 weeks to build a robot that meets the challenge.  Teams of robots then compete in arenas to see which best met the challenge; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T93UIrYRRs FIRST competitions] are exciting, high-energy events that draw competitors from around the world.  Teams compete in district events (our region is the Chesapeake region encompassing Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia); those that qualify move on to district championships which can qualify them to move on to the world championships where they compete again in divisions whose winners move on to the final competition held on the ''Einstein'' field.  In the 2017 competition, team 2537 was part of the winning alliance in the Tesla division which advanced to the Einstein field.  33,000 people attended the world championships and it's hard to overstate the level of excitement and fun.

Throughout the season, FRC teams work to spread interest in STEM in a process called outreach.  Team 2537's outreach efforts helped win it a 2017 Chairman's award which is one of the most prestigious awards in FRC.  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SxqfsV4Vbg This video] summarizes those efforts and helped us win the award.

Building and competing robots is expensive; teams operate as small businesses with a business plan and marketing to draw sponsors who help provide the tens of thousands of dollars needed to build each robot and enter competitions.  Students learn about [http://www.firstinspires.org/about/vision-and-mission gracious professionalism], teamwork, and leadership; teams are expected to provide [http://www.instructables.com/id/FIRST-Teams-Guide-to-Effective-Outreach/ outreach] services to help others (e.g. middle and elementary school students) learn about technology.  The mission of Team 2537 is to provide a fun, educational experience for AHS students through participation in FIRST Robotics Competitions.

* [wiki:TeamHistory Team History]
* [wiki:TeamStructure Team Structure]
* [wiki:TeamActivities Team Activities]
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tRF52TEngONRGbeXNyaQcbat6-JO1pQnh-34oAxpmxQ/edit?usp=sharing Code of Ethics]  ([https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S1e74-preqvmOnm8oXF2d64xg_1SyJlS2Dvqx9vmhVg/edit?usp=sharing Simplified Version])

=== Season structure
The FRC season runs from September through May and is divided into:
* Fall Training (Sept-Dec): meetings 2 days/week from 6-8:30 at AHS for training and preparation (see [https://teamsnap.com TeamSnap] for schedule.  There are also two off-season competitions ([http://battleobaltimore.com/ Battle of Baltimore] and [http://www.irocoffseason.org/ IROC]) held during this period using the robot built in the prior season.  Some returning students may spend time enhancing the prior year's robot for these competitions.  Other returning students train rookie students so they can participate in building the new robot.  All students use the Fall to develop and build the skills they will use during build season.
* Build-season (Jan-Feb): '''intense ''' meetings 5 days/week, usually 3 weekdays and weekends.  This is when the competition robot gets built.
* Competitions (Feb-Apr): team attends competitions and smaller groups meet 2-3 days/week for ongoing software and mechanism upgrades/enhancements
* Post-season (Apr-May): few meetings, mostly for cleanup and preparation for next year
* Year end banquet (May): celebrate the season and recognize faculty, administration, and mentors for their efforts

=== Meeting Locations
* The team meets mainly at Atholton High School in the Technology Labs.  
* Offsite meetings are occasionally held at [http://main.thehackground.org/ The Hackground] and [http://www.stemaction.org/ STEMAction].

=== Special Relationships
The SpaceRAIDers strive to maintain friendly relationships with everyone, but over the years, have developed special relationships with some local teams.  These teams routinely share resources, mentoring, and cheer each other at competitions.  Help 2537 continue to grow these friendships.
* [https://www.powerhawks.org/ PowerHawks] (Team 1111 - South River HS)
* [http://ilite.us/index.php iLite Robotics] (Team 1885 - Prince William County VA)
* [http://www.hammondursamajor.org/ Usra Major] (Team 2849 - Hammond HS)
* Wilde Bunch (Team 4137 - Wilde Lake HS)
* [http://frc.thehackground.org/ Absolute Control] (Team 5945 - Hackground)
* [http://www.baltimorebolts.com/ Baltimore Bolts] (Team 6326 - Baltimore)